The fallout from Springfield Armory and Rock River Arms funneling campaign contributions to some of Illinois' most anti-gun rights pols through the Illinois Firearms Manufacturer's Association has evoked strong feelings from many. Some, like Arie Friedman feel deep betrayal.
If you're not familiar with him, Mr. Friedman challenged the city of Highland Park's scary black gun ban as a plaintiff in the lawsuit Friedman v. Highland Park. The Supreme Court did not grant certiori to his appeal, so his case died and Highland Park's gun ban remains in place. For now.
In addition to his landmark civil rights case, Mr. Friedman ran for an Illinois state Senate seat. He says his opponent got a large cash infusion from Senate President John Cullerton's campaign war chest. Now Mr. Friedman sees that some of that money might have come from Springfield Armory, a company that he supported and purchased guns from.
Imagine learning that you've un-knowingly funded your own political opponent through your gun purchases. No wonder Mr. Freidman feels betrayed. As Springfield and Rock River are learning, decisions as to which candidates you support have real world consequences.
From Mr. Freidman's post at IllinoisCarry.com:
For those of you who don't know who I am, my name is Arie Friedman. I'm the Friedman from the Friedman vs Highland Park assault weapons ban court case that ultimately got rejected for appeal by the Supreme Court. Additionally, I ran for Illinois State Senate (29th District) in 2012 as a pro-2nd Amendment candidate against now State Senator Julie Morrison who is an adamant gun grabber.
2012 was not a good year for Republicans in Illinois but I raised a large amount of money, campaigned non-stop and came closer to winning than many other highly competitive GOP candidates that year. My opponent, on the other hand, had difficulty raising money and was an extremely lackluster campaigner. As a result, she received numerous large infusions of cash directly from democrat State Senate President John Cullerton.
Without that money, I believe she would possibly have lost the election. Now it turns out that some of that democrat campaign slush fund cash came from Springfield Arms and Rock River Armory via their lobbying arm, the Illinois Firearm Manufacturers Association.
In particular, I am deeply hurt that Springfield Arms, a company whose firearms I own and have carried, played a role in defeating me and other pro-2nd Amendment candidates in 2012 and other years as well. To find out that my efforts were being undermined by the very industry I was campaigning to support comes as a shock.
Shame on them.
I want a personal apology.
Breath. Held.
With friends like these, who needs enemies.
I doubt that the multiple felonies documented here will ever be prosecuted.
RRA and Springfield – Gun rights Quislings.